Staple forming and setting mechanism for shoe-button-attaching machines.



I. F, REED.

STAPIE FORMING AND SETTING MECHANISM FOR SHOE BUTTON ATTACHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-2B. IBIS.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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STAPLE FORMING AND SETTING MECHANISM FOR SHOE BUTTON AT TACHINGMACHINES; APPLICATION FILE!) NOV-28, l9l6.

1,279,002, PatentedSept. 17, 1918.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

abtomnu J. F. REED. STAPLE FORMING AND SETTING MECHANISM FOR SHOE BUTTONATTACHING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28. 1916.

1 ,2? 9 ,002 Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3A I. F. REED.

STAPLE FORMING AND SETTING MECHANISM FOR SHOE BUTTON ATTACHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-2B, I9I6.

1 279,902 Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

nrrnn STATES PATENT o moE,

JOE-IN I. REED, ,oi orrmvrwn, IOWA.

j srnrnn FORMING AND SETTING MECHANISM non sHoE-BUTroN-A'rrAoHING V r VMACHINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, JoHN FRANK REED, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ottumwa, in the-countyof Wapello and State 7 of Iowa, haveinvented new and useful lm V provements in Staple Forming 'and'SettingMechanism for Shoe-Button-Attaching Machines, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to staple forming and setting mechanism for shoebutton attaching machines, and one ofits objects is to provide simple,reliable and eflicient meanslfor'feeding a wire through the eye ofabutton and cutting off a portion. there-;

of of a suitable length to form a staple, preliminary bending'thecutwire lengths into staple form while the button is held and clamped, andthen clenching the'staple tov fasten the button to a shoe or likearticle.

A further object of the invention is: to provide a staple forming andsetting mechanism of the character described which comprises acomparatively small number of parts of a type not liable to get out oforder, and which includes means adapted to compensate for wear of theparts and to insure proper action thereofnnder all conditions ofservice, and which means also acts to allow theparts to have ayieldingaction to prevent injury thereto upon encountering a shoeimproperly placed in positionor striking any other obstruction.

A still'fnrther ob ect of the invention is to provide for the positivefeed of the wire under all normal conditions, while'preventme; any feedof the Wire at all times when.

a" button has not been fed to stapling po- 'sition.

"With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of thefeatures of construction, combination and arrangement of partshereinafter fully described and claimed,reference being had to theaccompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a front view of the head of ashoe button attaching machine embodying my invention. 7

Fig. '2 is atop plan view thereof.

' Fig. 3 is a view looking toward one side et the machine with partsfinsection, and I showingfthe parts in normal position.

Fig. ifis a sectional elevation looking toward the oppositelside ofthemachine..

Fig. 5 is a verticallongitudinal section,"

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 17, 1918 Applicationfiled November 28,1916; Serial No,'133, 925. I

showing the parts in position at the comple tion of a staple formingaction.

Fig.6 is a similarview, showing the parts in position 'at the'completion of the staple setting action. i V "Fig.7 is a horizontaltransverse section on line 7-7 of Fig. 5, but with the parts in po-'sition in which they appear with the machine in normal or idle position,at which time the 'buttonfeed finger rests on a but ton in staplingposition and thewir'e has been fed or' projected through the eyethereof. 7 i

Fig. 8 is a similar section showing the parts in staple formingposition.

Fig, 9 is a similar view showing the parts as illustrated in'Fig. 6 instaple setting position. Y Q

Fig. 10 is a similar view illustrating the action of the parts inholding the wire feed lever from action when from any cause no buttonhas been fed to stapling position.

Fig. 11 is a detail side elevation of the button feed lever and finger,showing in full and dotted lines the normal and extended throw of thementioned parts.

FigJlQ is a detail perspective view of the stop bar and staple forminganvil and the. setting or clenching anvil. r

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the wire" cutting and stapleforming'die and the stapleclenching die in assembled relation.

. Fig. 14 is a similar view of the staple set-' ting or clenching dieper 86. N V j V V Fig.;15 is an end view of the diesshown inFigilii; M ff V Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the wire feed lever.

Fig. 17 is a plan view'of thewire retain tcrslatent 1,232,841,datedduly10, 1917'...

This type of'button feed mechanism em- 7 V bodies a button feed leverand finger having a desiredlcoaction with the staple forming and settingmechan sm and; which are dis- 7 closed herein, 'afurtherand morespecific disclosureof'the button feedfmechanism be.-

7 ing unnecessary to a' full understanding of the presentfinventlon. I V

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the head of the machine, whichis suitably attached to a table or top-plate 2 which may be mounted inthe usual manner upon a frame pedestal or column. 7

The head 1 supports the hopper 5 with which communicates and from whichGX' tends a main guide or raceway 6, which ex tends at a downward andforward inclination therefrom for the gravitative feed of the buttonstherein to the button retaining springs or detents.

The button feeding mechanism herein disclosed also includes an outsideauxiliary.

. tion. I

A single pivotally mountedifeed finger 9 is provided for cooperationwith both raceways for engaging and feeding the button forward tostapling position, and this finger is provided at its free end with abutton receiving and engaging notch or recess 10.

In practice, suitable devices are provided for arresting the motion ofthe column of buttons or any single button in each guideway, so that thefinger may engage and feed such button forward for the staple settingaction.

The structure of these and other parts of the button feeding mechanismaredescribed and shown simply for the purpose of making the operation ofthe staple forming and setting mechanism clear, the button feedingmechanism specifically forming the subject matter of my copendingapplication hereinbefore referred to and the parts thereof beingmentioned only so far as they apply to this particular case.

The feed finger 9 is pivotally mounted upon a button feed lever 11fulcrumed upon a supporting post 12 mounted on the head for swingingmovement to move the finger forward along the button raceway.

The lever ispivotally mounted between its center and lower end, itslonger arm forming a support for the feed finger and its shorter armbeing provided with a pivot pin 13 which is journaled for rotationtherein and provided with a transverse opening to slidably receive afmotionetransmitting bar 14, carrying front. and rear coiled springs 15and 16 inclosing the ends of said bar between suitable abutments and theopposite sides of the pin 13, whereby a yielding connection is ai'fordedfor advancing and T o the arm 19 is also pivotally attached the upperend of a main actuating or connection rod 22, whereby the bell cranklever is attached to a suitable main operating device, such asadepressible, spring lifted or retracted foot lever.(not shown),asiscom-.

men with machines of thistype. r I

To thearm 20 is connected the lifting arm 23, of abutton liftingmechanism operating 7 in the hopper 5 for, the purpose of supplyingbuttons to the raceway 6, as set forthin'said patent, for the automaticsupply of buttons"- to such raceway on each operative movement of-themachine. 7 T

The button delivery guide groove 8 is disposed in proximity to thestaple setting anvil 2 1 which is carried by an arm 25 mounted on thehead, said anvil being provided in its anvil face with a grooveor recess26 of proper form to receive the ends of the staple during the settingaction.

The grooves isformed betweena pair of parallel bars 26 and 27, whichform a guideway for the staple cutting and forming member hereinafterdescribed, and which guideway is covered at the'front by a plate 28 onwhich the base of the head of the button29 rests during the wireapplying and staple forming action, said plate being provided with aslot 30 through which the button eye 31 projects into the deliverygroove 8, the said slot and groove communicating with the space betweenthe same and the anvil 24, in which the shoe-upper or other fabric 32towhich the button is tobe atta'ched is inserted;

The-guide bar 26 is formed with a trans- V I verse opening 33 for thepassage of the free end of the wire 34 across the groove 8 and throughthe button eye 31, which" free end of the wire is limited in movement bycontact with the bar 27 and is adapted tobe' severed from the remainderof the wire for.

free endof a wire feed lever 36 under a guide plate 37 and "between aguide surface 38 and the tooth edge 39 of a'pivoted'feed dog 0r pawl 10,normallyheld in wire engaging position by a spring 111.; L The lever isarranged on. the outer of the bar 26 for. transverse swingingmovementtoward and fromthe same, and the teeth of the dog 40-.are, so formed 7as to v side i "ward movement for the succeeding feed action.

Between the lever 36 and the bar 26 is disposed a guide member 42similar to the guide member 37, said guide member 42 i being fixed tothe head 1' and carrying :a

springpressed retaining dog 43 similar in construction to the dog 40,the dog 43 being adapted to move forwardly with and permit of the feedmotion of the wire while holding it from backward motion.

7 The lever 36 is pivotally mounted at 44 uponthe head for swingingmovement as described and has its rear end bent inwardly to form an arm45 provided with a depending lug 46*formed with an'opening 47 toslidably receive a rod 48, which ispivotally attached at its forward endto the bodyof' the bell crank lever 17 as indicated at 49.

Surrounding said rod 48 are coiled springs 50 and 51, the spring50'beingdisposed between the lug 46 and anabutment upon the pivoted endof the rod, and the spring 51 being disposed between the lug and anabutment 52 at the rear end of the rod.

When the rod 22 is drawn downward the rod 14 is pulled downward andforward and tensions the spring 16, thus exerting a pull upon the lever11 to swing the finger 9 ackward on its retracting motion.

On the downward movement of the rod 22 the segmental portion 18 of thebell crank 17 is moved forwardly, thereby compress ing the spring 51 forforcing pressure against the lug 46 toswing the wire feed leveroutwardly on its retractive'motion.

When the rod 22 moves upwardly or is retracted upon the release of thefoot lever by the action of the retraetingspring of said lever,,tl 1esprings 15 and 50 act to project the button feed finger and wire feedlever on their feed motions. V

The springs 15, 16, 50 and 51 provide, 1n

connection with rods 14 and 48, yielding pressure, lost motion 7connections between V the bell crank lever and the button feed and thewire feed levers, whereby any irregulari-.

ties of motion due to wear are compensated for and taken up, and wherebya full operating motion of the bell crank lever is permitted to takeplace and the button and wire feed levers permitted to have certaincompensating actions at times when no button has been fed forward tostapling position by the button feed finger from a raceway and no wireis required to be fed up as hereinafter fully described. 7 V 7 Thestaple forming and setting 'mech anismproper comprises a staple cuttingand forming member '53'and a staple driving or setting die 54, togetherwith certain co-' operating parts, as hereinafter :specified.

The d1e or ram 53 comprises an oblong rectangular block mounted forreciprocation 1n the guideway formed between the bars 26 and 27, whilethe die or ram 54 also'comprises a block of oblong rectangular form andof less width but greater length than the die 53. 7 V

The die53 is bifurcated at end to form a vertical slot 55 and isprovided in its upper surface with a longitudinally extending groove 56communicating at its forward end with said slot, and in which the die54' is reciprocably mounted, said die 53 being provided in the'sidewalls of the slot and groove with staple receiving and guide grooves 57,and the die 54 having longitudinally extending ribs 58 movable insaid-grooves 57.

its forward of the staple driving and setting die being adapted toregister with the surfaces 59 and 61 of the die when said staple'drivingand setting die is fully moved forward.

The inner edge portions of 63 are cut away at an oblique angle, as shownat 66, and provided with grooves which constitute in ward continuationsof the groove 64, to adapt said surfaces to have a specific action insetting the staple.

"In the lower face of the die 54 are formed recesses 67 and 68 adaptedfor engagement with teeth 69 and 70. on the segmental portion of thebell crank lever 17, which acts as a gear element, and whereby thediemember 54 is adapted to be moved forwardly in two stages or steps.

Guide rods 71 areal-ranged on opposite sides of the die member 54 andare slidable longitudinally in sockets 72 in the die member 53, andcoiled springs73 are disposed and tensioned, on said rods betweenabutments thereon and the rear end of the die member53, rthe die member54 is provided with a shoulder 75 which'fis adapted to engage aicrosspin 76 on the die member 53 placement, and said surface 7 5 also actsupon the cross pin 7 6 to limit the? rear movement die member V to holdsaid die members from relative the with therear end of the die member53, and" the gear "tooth 70 with the notch 68, or from being carriedforward during its further forward movement by the springs 7 3.

The die member 5a is adapted to be moved forward independently of thedie member 53 during the button setting action or after the die member53 has completed its forward movement, the springs 7 3 being furthertensioned and compressed against the rear end 7 of the said die member53 as the die member 54:. is carried forward'to complete the settingaction.

The action of the springs 7 3 affords variable forward movement to thedie member 53,, also holds fabrics of varying thicknesses during thesetting action, which are interposed between the forward end of the diemember 53 and the face of the clenching anvil 24, such operation of thedie members and springs occurring on each working stroke of the bellcrank lever 17. 7

A button having been fed forward in the guideway by the button feedfinger to stapling position, as shown in Fig. 3, it will be understoodthat upon the depression of the operating treadle the arm 19 of the bellcrank lever will be drawn downward, thus transmitting a backwardretractive motion to the button feed lever and finger, as shown in Fig.6.

After the die member 53 has been retracted beyond the passage 33, thewire feed lever 36 feeds the wire through the passageway 33 and acrossthe guideway between the bars26 and 27 in position to come between theends of the dies and a bending anvil 77 upon the upper inclined endabutment surface 7 8 of a vertically movable anvil and stopbar 7 9normally held projected upward in the path of the die members andbetween the same and the anvil 24 by expansive action of a spring 80.

The anvil 77 of this bar has its anvil sur- In the preliminary forwardmovement of the reciprocating dies the corner edge of the adjacentsurface 59 0f the die 53 cuts off the projected portion of the wire fromthe body of the wire, which projected portion of the wire has beenthreaded or passed through the eye of the button held in staplingposition by the button feed finger resting thereon and the eye of thebutton resting against the surface 81 of the anvil? 7 and then as thedie member 53 continues its forward movement the ends of the wire areengaged and held in the grooves 60 and forced forward by the die 53against 'the anvil 77, by which the wire is bent into staple form andreceived in the grooves 57 of the die 53by the anvil 77, which enters heslot 55 of said die 53. V

At this stage the die 53 moves forward on its second step and itssloping surface 61. en: gages the sloping surface 7 8. of the block 19and forces said block downward, as. shown in Fig/6, out of the path ofthe die member 53 and 54, at which time theforward, end

' of the die 54; will have come into position to engage the formedgstaple, asshoWnin' Fig. 8.

The fabric 32 having been "previously placed in position for the settingaction. the

continued forward movement ofthe dies 53 and 5 lwill result in the endof the die being brought into contact with the fabric 7 so as to clampthe same against'the anvil 24-, the die 5st forcing thev ends ofthestaple through the fabric and its surfaces cooperating with-the groove26 in the anvil'24 to bendthe ends of the staple inwardly and clench thesame against the fabric :w iile the forming surfaces of the die 54contract the bight of the staple about the eye of the butt0n,as shown inFig. 9, whereby the button will be set or fastened to the fabric. f

The operating treadle then being released, the retracting springs willreturn the parts to normal position and the finger 9 will again movedownwardly and forwardly, its notched end engaging and feeding a buttonforward to stapling position against the surface 81 of the block 79which has again been'moved by its spring 80 upward into the path of thedies. 7

It is desirable to provide some means for preventing the wire feedmotion of the wire feed lever when through any cause a but ton has notbeen fed forward to stapling V in dotted lines an extended range'ofmovement when no button is in" stapling position, or in position toarrest the forward motion of the feed finger and lever.

This extended forward movement of the feed lever and finger is permittedby the range of movement allowed by the spring 15, which, when thefinger engages a but ton, is compressed to a slightly greater degreethan when the finger is permitted to have an abnormal travel, thusavoiding liability of injury to or derangement of the parts under suchconditions.

When the lever 11 moves forwardly to its normal degree, thearm 82 ispermittedto pass said lever 11 thus permitting the wire feed lever'36 tofully feed the wire forward,

but when the lever 11 moves forward to an abnormal degree, said lever 11comes into posit-ion to be engaged by the surface 84 of the arm 82, sothat it acts as a stop to prevent the lever 36 from a forward feedingmovement of the wire into the guideway between the bars 26 and 27, thuspreventing the formation of a staple when no button is in staplingposition.

The stop motion of the lever 36 is permitted by reason of the elasticlost motion connection formed by the rod 48 and spring 50, which spring,when the full travel of the lever 36 i arrested, will be compressed to aslightly greater degree than when the lever has its full movement, sothat the bell crank and stapling dies are permitted to have a full rangeof travel without obstruction or the imposition of strains thereon.

It will be observed that the elastic lost motion connections between theactuating bell crank and the button and wire feed means also insure thecompensating action of the character described in a smooth and easymanner, and without jar or jerk even when variations of motion occur dueto wear of the working parts.

By the present structure it will be evident that the button feed leverserves directly the function of a stop for limiting the motion of thewire feed lever under the condition men tioned without the addition ofpart or parts, to which extent it forms a part of the staple forming andsetting mechanism.

' It will be evident, of course, that my improved staple forming andsetting mechanism may be employed for general purposes in fasteningbuttons and the like to various kinds of fabric and that it may beemployed in conjunction with button machines in which the buttons arefed either automatically or by hand to the machine, hence the inventionis not limited to its use in connection with any particular type of feedmechanism, except as set forth in the claims.

It will, of course, be understood that while the Structure shown isproper, any equivalent construction, falling within the scope of theappended claims, may be employed without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

I claim 1. A button attaching machine comprising a button feeding leverhaving a normal movement when a button is in position to be fed and anextending movement when a button is not in position to be fed, a wirefeeding lever having a projection thereon for engaging the buttonfeeding lever when the same is in abnormal position to pre vent the wirefeeding action, staple forming and setting means, and actuating meansfor the parts.

2. A button attaching machine comprising a vertically arranged buttonfeeding lever, means for rocking the same, a button engaging membercarried by said lever, a horizontally arranged wire feeding lever, meansfor rocking the same horizontally, a right angular projectioncarried bysaid wire feeding lever and adapted to contact with the button feedinglever when the button is not in position to prevent movement of saidwire feeding lever, staple forming and setting means, and operatingmeans for actuating the parts.

3. In abutton attaching machine, the combination of a staple settingdie, a wire feeder, a button feeder operative in the absence of a buttonto arrest the motion of the wire feeder, a staple forming die movabletoward and from the setting anvil, a staple forming anvil movable intoand out of the path of said forming die, a staple setting die slidablyconnected with said forming die, motion transmitting springs connectingsaid dies, and a. bell crank lever in gear with the setting dieforimparting motion thereto, and sliding spring controlled lost motionconnections between said bell crank lever and the wire and buttonfeeders.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN F. REED.

Copies of thin patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addreuingthe Gomminioner of Patent,

Washington, D. G.

